BD Medical, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today the U.S. launch of the BD Ultra-Fine™ Nano™ 4mm Pen Needle with EasyFlow™ Technology. EasyFlow Technology makes it easier and faster for people with diabetes to give themselves their daily insulin injections. Product demonstrations will be taking place in the BD booth at the American Diabetes Association 73rd Scientific Sessions on June 21 – 25, 2013 in Chicago.

Insulin is a life-saving drug for those unable to regulate their blood sugar levels. For many people with diabetes, this means they will take the medication for the rest of their lives, often with multiple injections per day. People with diabetes recognize the impact of BD's latest innovation on their daily injection experience, with a majority preferring BD Ultra-Fine Nano 4mm Pen Needles with EasyFlow Technology to their current pen needle on all three of the leading insulin pen brands.[1] In a clinical study published in Clinical Therapeutics, 61% of patients reported they needed less thumb force to inject,[1] and 49% of patients reported less time to inject than with their usual pen needle.[1] BD is able to deliver this improved performance by increasing the space inside the needle while maintaining industry leading gauge size – increasing the flow rate in controlled laboratory testing by up to 149% versus competitive pen needles.[1]

The launch of EasyFlow Technology is the latest example of BD's commitment to improving injections for people with diabetes. It follows BD's recent launch of PentaPoint™ Comfort, a patented 5-bevel needle tip clinically proven to enhance comfort.[2] Both of these innovations are now included in BD's shortest and thinnest pen needle, the BD Ultra-Fine Nano 4mm Pen Needle.

"Building on the introduction of BD's 4mm needle and 5-bevel PentaPoint Comfort design, we are confident that our new EasyFlow Technology will provide the most comfortable injection experience to help enable patients to adhere more easily to their therapy regimens and ultimately improve their outcomes," said Linda Tharby, President, BD Medical – Diabetes Care.

BD's steady pace of patient friendly enhancements has caught the attention of some important audiences. For example, BD Ultra-Fine Nano 4mm Pen Needles with EasyFlow Technology have earned the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation, which recognizes products proven to make life easier for people who have arthritis and other physical limitations. Independently tested by experts and evaluated by people with arthritis, EasyFlow Technology was commended for ease of use when attaching, injecting, and dispensing medication on select insulin pens for people with dexterity challenges.

EasyFlow Technology is currently available in the U.S. and Canada on all BD Ultra-Fine Nano 4mm Pen Needles with PentaPoint Comfort and will be available in many European countries in the coming months. For more information on how EasyFlow Technology and other BD innovations can help improve outcomes for people with diabetes, visit www.bd.com/nano